A wife whose husband was jailed for trying to kill her by slashing her wrists in a botched murder-suicide attempt as the couple drowned in debt during the Covid lockdown insists she still loves him and cannot wait for his release from prison, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.

Karen Sawyer, 61, was sleeping when Andrew Sawyer came up to bed at their home in Trowbridge, Wiltshire to give her a cuddle before he slashed her wrist and said ‘I’ll stay with you until the end and then I’ll do me’.

Father-of-two Sawyer, 69, had taken responsibility of the family’s finances but had debt ‘coming out of their ears’, wanted to end both their lives to ‘free’ them from mortgage payments, £25,000 credit card bills and a debt management plan.

Mrs Sawyer, who has been married to her husband for 43 years, had lost the hair salon she ran due to the pandemic, while he lost his job as an electrical sales consultant after being furloughed.

Speaking to MailOnline today, she said: ‘I still love my husband very much and we want to grow old together. I have forgiven him completely and can’t wait until he is released from prison. Our love is very strong, and we will soon be back together.’

Winchester Cown Court was told the couple, who have been married 43 years, had severe financial problems, with £25,000 debt on credit cards and locked into a debt management programme.

Sawyer had lost his job as an electrical sales consultant while his wife’s hairdressing salon had closed during the pandemic. The court was told he had taken on managing the family finances but they had debt ‘coming out of their ears’.

Since the attempted murder Mrs Sawyer has been living with her sister and the family home is soon to be sold.

‘It will be going on the market very soon and that means Andrew and I can make a fresh start together,’ said Mrs Sawyer.

‘We are going to have a life together and I want to grow old with my husband. I and both my children have completely forgiven him for what happened.’

Mrs Sawyer said she has not been able to speak to her husband since he was jailed by Judge Paul Dugdale who told him:’ It is not worth ending your life because you can’t afford the mortgage.’

 

The judge expressed sympathy for Sawyer saying he was suffering from a depressive disorder when he carried out the attack in the middle of the night in February.

But he told him: ‘You don’t have the right to decide what happens to someone else’s life and that is the error you made.’

Since the attack Mrs Sawyer has been unable to work as a hairdresser due to tendons in her wrist being severed. Neighbours also said the lack of movement in her wrists meant she can no longer drive.

She refuses to talk about the attempted murder saying it is not something she will ever discuss again.

‘What happened, happened. I will not be talking about it to anyone. ‘ she said.

Her husband was held on remand since the February incident and Mrs Sawyer said it was a ‘relief’ that he has been sentenced.

‘It is all over now and I just have to wait for Andrew. I just want to be with my husband.’

The mother-of-two made no secret of love for her husband, telling one neighbour: ‘He will be out in 23 months and I cannot wait.’

 

Content by: PAUL THOMPSON